“Matt Rife” and “controversy” are two terms that just roll off the tongue (or, maybe in this case, lips) together as they’re so often used in the same sentence.
Somehow, just when we think that Rife’s life and career has reached its peak in terms of shocking developments, a new one comes along that makes us drop our own (less Handsome Squidward-looking) jaws once more. Case in point, the alarming accusations thrown the comedian’s way by entrepreneur, comedian, and YouTube star Nima Yamini that are causing a fire on social media as people debate whether the salacious claims could actually be true.
Nima Yamini claims Matt Rife achieved “internet fame” by NSFW means
Crediting comedian Katt Williams for inspiring him to share his own personal experience with “the dark side of Hollywood,” Yamini has taken to TikTok to talk about the time before his business took off and he enjoyed a “somewhat successful career in standup comedy.” Yamini alleges that he was once “invited to Hollywood with some executives along with some now-famous comedians and we were offered a chance at a deal for online stardom.” However, apparently the only way to receive the contract was by, he claims, “s***ing both the execs off.”
Yamini recalls that he “immediately got up and walked to the door” to end the meeting, but he alleges that before he had even exited the room, “the other comedian [present in the meeting] was s***ing both of their d***s simultaneously.” After leaving a pause for dramatic effect, Yamini drops his bombshell: “That guy’s name was Matt Rife.” Yamini ends his video with a seemingly derogatory comment that references his YouTube channel, Alpha King Nima: “That’s Alpha King rule no 799. Just because someone is more famous than you, that doesn’t mean they’re better, they just might be gayer.“
Once upon a time, internet users might’ve been sympathetic toward Rife in the face of these allegations regarding how he got his big break, but after accusations of plagiarism, the use of the n-word in social media posts, and a range of jokes in his Netflix special and tours that have been decried as deeply offensive to women in all kinds of ways, people seem less willing to be kind. A glimpse at Twitter reveals a slew of jabs at the expense of Rife, and generally his supposed cosmetic surgery, that seem to implicitly believe Yamini’s claims.
On the other hand, others are taking a more skeptical approach, finding themselves less than impressed with Yamini. “The fact that the Matt Rife accuser guy has “Alpha King rules” should pretty much put that controversy to bed,” quipped one, while another argued that — regardless of one’s feelings towards Rife — it might behoove us all to remember he’s innocent until proven guilty. “I don’t know much about Matt Rife,” the tweeted argued, “but this story is a clear example of you can say anything about somebody on social media and it will automatically be believed.”
A common criticism of Yamini’s video is that many feel he should have named the Hollywood execs in the room to prove the veracity of his allegations, as the fact Rife was the only named party in the incident feels to some like it’s a targeted and falsified attack on Rife. The truth remains obscure for now, as Rife has yet to publicly respond to Yamini’s accusations. Considering this is a man who once had TikTok beef with a six-year-old, though, we would expect him to hit back against the claims in due time.
